The Adventures of Prince Achmed

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed, 1926) is a German animated fantasy-adventure written, directed, and animated by Lotte Reiniger. Drawing loosely from One Thousand and One Nights, it follows Prince Achmed as he journeys on a magical flying horse, rescues the fairy Parménide, battles an evil sorcerer, and confronts demons across fantastical lands. Along the way, he unites with Aladdin and leads a daring rescue mission, weaving together several Arabian Nights tales into a single epic tapestry. The film is a masterpiece of silhouette animation, created through intricately cut cardboard figures manipulated under a camera—the earliest surviving animated feature known. Reiniger’s innovative use of backlit paper cutouts, layered backgrounds, and an early multiplane camera technique produces luminous, theatrical images tinted in vibrant hues. Her visuals feel like living shadow puppetry, each frame echoing the delicate artistry of traditional stage performance. Made over three painstaking years (1923–1926), the film was produced with modest financing and earned around $100,000 during its revival screenings. While its initial release was quietly received, it premiered in Berlin and Paris with critical enthusiasm and later achieved cult status through restored screenings and home video events. Critics have lauded the film for its extraordinary craftsmanship and narrative ambition. It holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes among modern reviewers and is widely celebrated as the oldest surviving animated feature and a landmark in cinematic storytelling. Its approach to animation—as both art and expression—continues to inspire. Though it predates major animation awards, Prince Achmed received the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1973 (for its restored version) and has been honored in retrospectives worldwide. Lotte Reiniger herself was recognized with lifetime achievement prizes for her pioneering work in the medium. Its legacy is immense: the film changed perceptions of animation’s potential, influencing silhouette and shadow-puppet techniques, inspiring filmmakers across disciplines, and laying the groundwork for cinematic world-building decades before Disney’s Snow White. It remains a timeless testament to the power of visual storytelling.